Dominique Gatlin earned degrees in Civil Engineering Technology and Architectural Technology from FTCC.
Dominique Gatlin has always had an interest in design and a natural affinity for altruism, traits that have guided her to a career in civil engineering.
Her drive has earned her two associate degrees from Fayetteville Technical Community College and degrees from a pair of four-year universities.
But it was the time spent learning in the field, part of her required curriculum at FTCC, that Gatlin credits with making the biggest difference in her career.
“I can honestly say, especially with going to two different universities after leaving Tech, that I learned way more in terms of what to do physically on the job than I ever did at the universities,” Gatlin said. “So I always credit Tech with that, and I always encourage people to go to Tech first and then go up. I tell them that it’s a great way to get involved in the work field.”
Now Gatlin works as an engineer to find solutions to civil problems, often when the everyday lives of residents driving, working, and attending school are counting on good design to make their daily activities easier.
Gatlin currently works for a firm called Municipal Engineering, where she works on a variety of projects involving utility line and road planning in various cities.
While Gaitlin’s current employer is based outside of Raleigh, Gatlin’s work often involves travel as she makes her way to sites to perform the initial surveying and analysis before returning to her office to complete projects remotely.
Gatlin’s work recently took her to Baltimore where she worked with a utility company during the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.
“I did a lot of drone surveying, taking aerial footage of different things to see where the impact was and start the rebuilding process,” Gatlin said. “Because the bridge was down, the question there was, how do we reroute everything that we’ve lost.”
The opportunity to use the design process to solve problems sparked Gatlin’s interest when she started her college career at FTCC nearly a decade ago.
“I actually started off at Fayetteville Tech in the civil engineering program and then I went to work for the (Department of Transportation),” Gatlin said. “Then I got interested in the architectural side of things and came back to Tech to study that.”
Gatlin completed associate degrees in Civil Engineering Technology and Architectural Technology at FTCC in 2014 and 2015, respectively, and transferred to N.C. State to finish out her four-year degree in 2017. She later studied at Morgan State University in Baltimore.
After completing her studies at N.C. State, Gatlin took on architectural projects for a local firm in Fayetteville but worked in Maryland where she worked for the DOT.
Gatlin gained hands-on experience through work study opportunities at FTCC, encouraged by Architectural Engineering Department Chair Tim Peppers and Civil Engineering Technology Department Chair Cathy Christianson to learn skills in a real-world work environment.
She credits these work-based learning experiences with opening both career and educational opportunities after graduating from FTCC.
“The work study I did with Mr. Peppers got me started on the architectural side, getting to design buildings and offices,” Gatlin said. “And then with Ms. Christianson, her work study program is what ultimately led me to get a job in Maryland. Once I finished working on a clinic with a local firm, it caught the attention of another firm that offered to take me up there and pay for me to continue my education.”
For Gatlin, hands-on learning started even before working for local employers in work-based learning programs. It was smaller, in-class projects that helped her discover her passion.
“Ms. Christianson had us do a lot of projects where we might redesign a portion of the school or be outside working,” Gatlin said. “I knew this is what I want to be doing for sure.”
